Psychopath
by Ebeegirl
Summary: It had been an ordinary day at school until gunshots rang out breaking numerous windows and killing three kids and injuring fourteen. A few days after, Annabelle was getting ready to go to bed when a man took her and her brother hostage and sliced their mother's throat. They were locked in a dark room. There were so many questions. The main one was: Who was this Psychopath?
1. Shooting

_"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you're heading."_

_-Lao Tzu_

I woke up to a loud thud from within our house. I could smell bacon and eggs cooking on the stove. Maybe mother had hit her head on the cabinets, again? I stretched as I got out of bed, not really worried. Brother and I shared a room since the house only had two rooms. He got the bottom bunk while I got the top. I can't tell you how many times I hit my head on the ceiling. Mostly, because I was half asleep and tried to stand up on my bed for some reason.

"Hey, mom!" I shouted from the doorway of the bedroom. "Was that thud you!?"

"Sorry!" Mother's sweet voice responded, worried. "Did I wake you?"

"No!" I lied. She'd get concerned and start worrying about her being so clumsy. She didn't say anything more so I figured she went back to cooking breakfast. I wonder if she knew I lied to her. If she did, she really didn't care.

I walked back into the bedroom and saw that my brother, Josh, was lying entangled in his bed sheets with his mouth wide open. I laughed silently at him. He looked so goofy. I figured it would be okay if I didn't wake him up. His alarm would go off, of course, if he remembered to reset it.

I grabbed some jeans, a long sleeved black shirt, and some blue socks. I changed into them and threw the shirt I had worn to bed in the laundry basket mom left for us to put dirty clothes in. I looked at the mirror that hung above my dresser. My medium auburn hair was almost as tangled as my brother in his sheets. I picked up my comb and began to brush through it. When I finished, I placed it on the dresser and put in my small earrings. Some of the girls had big loopy ones, but those looked sort of weird, in my opinion.

Josh was still sleeping so I decided to wake him up. He had to go to orchestra and probably needed to find last night's homework, anyway. I sat down on top of him and he stirred.

"Ack! Annie! Get off of me!" He said pushing me off. I laughed because his hair was up on all ends. He looked like a porcupine. "What's so funny?" He asked getting out of his bed. He only wore his boxers to bed.

"Nothing…" I said innocently and he just rolled his eyes and grabbed a red shirt from his dresser. I would've laughed if he had gone down stairs without noticing his hair, but he did. He tried to smooth it out with his hands and I left because it was boring watching him do this.

I ambled down the stairs as mother started setting the table. Yep, it was bacon and eggs. I could now smell burning bread that was likely in the toaster. I didn't say anything because she probably smelled it, too.

"I heard you laughing up there. What was so funny?" Mom asked as I sat down at a plate. She put a three extra pieces of bacon on my plate and put her finger to her mouth. Well, more for me.

"I woke Josh up by sitting on him and he looked like a porcupine." I replied before stuffing a bacon strip in my mouth. I heard the toaster pop and knew the toast was done being scorched.

"Be careful, then. He must have a pokey personality." Mom said sarcastically. Josh walked down the stairs and I stuffed two more bacon strips into my mouth. He saw this and looked at me, confused, before sitting down on the other side of the table. His hair still had a few small spikes in it, but, for the most part, it was smooth. He started munching down on his eggs. I chewed on another bacon strip. I really loved bacon.

"Eat too much bacon and you'll turn into it." Josh mumbled and pointed his fork with an egg white on it at me. I swallowed the bacon strip that was in my mouth before replying.

"Eat too many eggs and you'll turn into it." A slight growl erupted from his throat, but he kept chewing on his egg. Mother placed the toast on the table. She gave me two pieces of bread that weren't burnt and brother got two extremely burnt ones.

"Why does she get the toast that isn't burnt?" Brother said in annoyance while examining his buttered toasted. Mine was glazed with clover honey. I loved the sweetness of honey and Josh hated it.

"Because she actually does her work." Mom said smugly. Brother put his hands up and they practically spelled 'What.' I chuckled at him. He glared at me before taking a bite of his singed toast. Mother sat down and sipped her coffee. I put my eggs on Josh's plate and stole a strip of his bacon.

"Hey! Give that back!" Brother snatched at it, but I easily averted him. Mother didn't say anything because she knew Josh would say he didn't need any help. He snatched at it a second time and I moved to the left since he aimed for the right. "Come on. I'm hungry." Brother said with a pout.

"No and plus the average American gets approximately 45% of calories from fat and you have a good amount of that." I said the last part sarcastically, but it is true that roughly 45% of calories are from eating fat. I also had rhymed that for some reason.

"Augh…" Josh moaned. I snickered and nibbled on the bacon. He didn't like me giving even one percent about anything unless it's helping him do his homework. Believe it or not, I'm in high school and I'm going to turn thirteen on December 5th and at the end of May or early June, I'll have graduated while my brother still needs two more years more he graduates.

"Josh, don't you need to go to Orchestra?" Mother said then took a sip of her coffee. She hadn't touched her food for some reason. Maybe she was waiting for us to leave, but High School started at 8:15 and it was 7:24. Why would she want to wait 51 minutes for us to be at school to eat? I pushed it off and put my plate in the sink. Josh got up and put on his book bag before grabbing his Cello and heading out the door.

"I'm guessing you want me to leave, too?" I asked leaning against the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room. Mother didn't say anything and starting cutting her eggs. Well, she's ignoring me. "I'll just be going then." I muttered and grabbed my backpack. I had already put my homework in it from last night.

I noticed Josh's homework was still on Dad's desk. Technically, it wasn't his anymore because he's in prison for murdering this man at a bar. Josh used it as his own desk and treated it like it was his pet. I grabbed his homework and put it in my backpack. I'd just give it to him at school.

"Have a good day at school." Mother said as I walked out the door, but she said that every day so I wasn't surprised. I walked up to Clara's house and knocked on the door. Glenn, her father, answered.

"Hello, Anna." He greeted and hugged me. I hugged back because he was like the dad I never had. Mother and him were friends since childhood and when our families started, our families became close friends.

"Is Clara still here?" I asked after he stopped hugging me. I didn't like getting hugged unless I did the action. It made me feel a bit uncomfortable. He shook his head.

"Sorry, but she spent the night over at Tiffany's." I never liked Tiffany. Tiffany was a 15 year old that is brattish even though she could be nice. She always wanted everything her way and always had to be in complete control. Maybe that's why we're enemies. I found it weird that Clara, who's 12, to be at Tiffany's house. I never knew that they had met. I met Tiffany when I first started High School.

"It's fine. I'll go over there instead." Wow. I was saying a lot of lies today. I would just go and sit on a swing in the park near the school and read one of David Rossi's books about crime. I really enjoyed crime and hoped to work as a police officer or detective one day. I might even be able to join the FBI and meet him one day.

Clara's dad closed the door as I walked off the porch and back onto the sidewalk. The houses around here weren't very big and many were apartments. Small houses were scattered here and there so it was rare to see one that wasn't Clara's or my house.

I walked down the sidewalk, watching every pedestrian that passed me. I knew a lot of crime happened in our city, plus there have been multiple serial killers here. The most famous one was the Quantico Killer. I can't even remember how many people that man killed.

When I reached the park, I walked over to a low swing and saw that it was all wet. I wouldn't want to be walking around all wet today. There was a tree I sat under once in a while, so I walked over to it and sat down on one of its roots. I pulled out the book 'Killer Profile' and open it to the first page. I skimmed over it, not reading it like I normally do which is like 1,500 words a minute, to pass the time.

"Well, look who's here." I heard a voice say a few feet away from me. I put the book down and saw that Daniel was standing there with his two friends, Louis and Cole. I put the book back in my backpack and stood up.

"Do you need something?" I asked, unhappily. They were trouble makers. I wouldn't care if I cursed ever single curse word at them because that's how bad they were. They started fights, got drunk, and probably smoked some illegal drugs.

"Do you need something you little twerp?" Cole responded and grinned wickedly at me. I wasn't scared of them. Why should I be? Yeah, they may be older and stronger than me, but I was smarter and faster.

"For you guys to leave." I replied. Daniel put his hand on my shoulder and I grabbed his arm and pulled him forward, kneeing him in the stomach. I also knew pressure points and some good fighting tactics.

"Oh… oh, now you're going to get it." Daniel almost yelled. He tried to sucker punch me, but I moved the opposite direction and punched his face. Cole and Louis were ratting him on. He held his face and I saw some blood bleed out between his fingers.

"That looks like it hurts. Do you need a tissue to dry up your tears?" I said dryly. He removed his hand from his face and I saw that I gave him a bloody nose. Blood dripped onto his shirt and he growled at me.

"I'll get you. Just you wait." He said before storming off towards the school. His friends looked at him then at me. Surprise written all over their faces, but they quickly followed him and I could see that they had started talking to him. He pushed one of them down to the ground when the guy tapped his shoulder. I believe it was Louis, but Cole and him looked alike. They both had dirty blonde hair and green eyes.

I picked up my stuff and walked towards school after they disappeared. Other kids were making their way towards school, too. Well, I wasn't late. I saw Tiffany talking to her friend, Amy. I didn't like or hate Amy. She was a good kid, but I really didn't relate to her. She was very shy, too, so I didn't know her very well. She only talked to Tiffany once in a while and today Tiffany was just blabbing on while Amy just listened.

I walked into the school building and a few kids were already walking around inside. I walked over to my locker and opened it. Most of the students had locks, but I didn't. I had nothing valuable unless a small mirror and jacket were valuable. I hung my backpack on a hook inside my locker and grabbed my math book and Josh's homework. I had to return it before class.

I went into the classroom and placed my math book on my desk before heading to Josh's homeroom, which was Ms. Smith's room. She taught Language. I went down the hall to the room and saw that she was the only one in there.

"Ms. Smith, have you seen my brother?" I asked and she looked up from the work she was grading. She was grading Daniel's. It had a D on it.

"Last I saw him was in the Library checking out some books. You should check there." She said pointing to the library. I was the room across from hers. I nodded in appreciate and she went back to grading.

I wandered around the Library and saw Josh was sitting at one of the Library's many tables reading a book. A lot of other kids were in here and I recognized a few. Emma, Amy, Sophie, Jamie, and Peter were reading and a few kids were in line to check them out.

"Josh." I said and he looked up from his book.

"Yes?" He asked and he didn't look too happy, but he was always like that. He probably figured I was going to prank him. "Do you need something?" I put his homework down on the desk.

"You left it on Dad's desk this morning. I figured you'd prob-" I was cut off by a loud bang and a pain shooting up my arm. I gave a screech of pain and saw that my arm was bleeding. I put my hand to it as another bang rang out. We must have been getting shot at my someone. I saw another kid get hit in the leg and kids started running and ducking everywhere. Josh grabbed me and pulled me under the table.

"Why are we being shot at!?" Josh yelled and more and more shots rang out. I could hear sirens of police cars and ambulances approaching. I put pressure on my arm in hopes to slow the bleeding.

"Do you think I'd tell you if I knew?" I replied bluntly, trying to hide my fear, but it still came out rattled. I saw a kid lying on the ground and wasn't moving. I closed my eyes and hoped it all just stop. The nightmare would just end. The last thing I heard were men shouting before it went black.

_**Hope you guys like this first chapter! If you are on Wattpad, you may or may not have noticed this same story is up there on an account also named Ebeegirl. Wattpad isn't working right for me so I'm writing over here now. If anyone of Wattpad would like to help me, it would be appreciated.**_

_**Ebee**_


	2. Alive

_"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."_

_-Robert Frost_

I started hearing beeping noises and slowly opened my eyes. I put my hands down to get up and pain shot through my arm. I instantly laid back down. Now I remember, I was shot in the arm at school and Josh hid us under a table. Wait, Josh!

"Josh!" I yelled in panic. Had he been hurt? A nurse ran in, probably hearing my shouts.

"Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy!" She said putting her arms out as if I was an animal she was trying to tame. "Your brother is fine. He's in the waiting room with your mother. Would you like me to bring them in?" She asked, kindly.

"Maybe…" I mumbled. My arm had gauze wrapped around it and I probably looked horrible.

"Okay. I'll bring them." Well, she didn't listen. She left the room and I looked at my arm. Who had been shooting at us and why? Well, he could've been a psycho that lost his mind, but was sane and smart enough to stop shooting at the sound of sirens. My brother and Mom walked in and instantly hugged me, making sure to not hit my arm.

"I was so worried." Mother said and I could see that she had been crying. "I got you a book you might want because you'll have to take it easy for a few days so your arm can heal." She pulled out a book and the title was _'What Your Handwriting Says about You'_ by Mike Edelhart.

"Thanks." I said as mother handed me the book. I grasped it with my good hand and turned onto the first page and started reading.

_'Some people like football, some like chess. Some like classical music, others prefer rock and roll. If someone said to you, 'My friend Sue likes baseball and rock, but my friend Jim likes chess and classical music,' you would get very different pictures of Jim and Sue in your mind.' _

I stopped reading because I heard Josh and mom chuckling. I frowned and they stopped.

"You really are interested in profiling people aren't you?" Mother said. "Better sign up for the BAU as soon as possible." I rolled my eyes. She knew I wanted to work for them and I was really interested in behavioral analysis.

"Hey, Josh." He looked at me concerned. "Can you write down the letters A-Z for me?" He didn't do it.

"You're going to profile me by my handwriting aren't you?" He knew what I liked to do and plus the book was partially titled the answer, 'What his handwriting says about him.'

"Come on." I said in a sweet voice. Mother looked at him and her expression was commanding him to do it.

"Alright. What do you want me to write on?" Mother pulled out a piece of paper and pen from her purse and he wrote the letters. I looked on the table of contents then flipped to page 76.

"A expresses the degree of honesty, openness, and sociability." I read then compared his capital 'A' to the others. "You're 'A' has an open top meaning you are chatty and stretch the truth." Mother chuckled.

"Well, now I know who stole the cookie from the cookie jar." She said and we both laughed. Josh crossed his arms in annoyance. A different nurse walked in with a clipboard.

"You guys can leave anytime you want. She's stable now." Stable? I thought EMTs injected me with something and I was knocked unconscious.

"I wasn't stable?" I asked quietly, thinking I had been so close to dying. Josh put a hand on my shoulder and showed remorse. So much for the mad brother.

"You passed out from blood loss so we rushed you here and bandaged you up." The nurse said, simply. I nodded and she removed the tube that supplied fluids into my body. Josh and mother helped me up and I was slightly dizzy. I still had on the clothes from earlier. They had blood stains soaked into them. So much for my comfy shirt.

"Did you stitch me up?" I asked the nurse when I was able to fully balance. She nodded.

"Yes and you'll need to come back in four or five days to get the stitches removed. If it starts bleeding, come to the hospital immediately." She responded. I saw doctors and nurses running around behind her. How many students had got shot? I started crying. "Do you need painkillers?" The nurse asked. It took all I had to not start yelling at her.

"No… It's just the others…" I calmed myself in order to not sound really annoyed at her. She gave a fake smile before walking out.

"Was it me or was she creepy?" Josh asked. I laughed as mother scolded him. At least he still had the same sense as me. Tells me it's not just because of me getting shot. Mother guided us to the car and she started driving back home. For some reason, I felt like we were being watched.

**_Do you guys like that ending to this chapter? You won't know what will happen next... Muhahaha! *Cough* Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. It's shorter than the one before because the first one was 'introducing' some people into the story and so you get to know what Anna's (or whatever you want to call her) life is like on a normal basis. Also, the book 'What Your Handwriting Says about You' is actually a real book I read... So that part about Sue and Jim is literally in the book. Also, page 76 is really the page where the alphabet starts on so I'm not making that up. Copyright to him if Mike reads this. ;-)_**

**_Ebee_**


	3. Friendship

_"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend."_

_–Albert Camus_

I stretched as I got up from the couch. My back cracked, loudly, and I groaned. All the students got the rest of the week off of school and this was the last day left. Well, today was Saturday, so, technically, it wasn't off of school. Tomorrow I would be going back to school and resume my normal life. If it really was normal.

I sneezed. I might've gotten a small cold from the hospital, but that was no reason to miss school unless I started vomiting or was really dizzy and couldn't walk in a straight line. Josh was asleep on the floor with our cat, Rags or Ragsy. Well, he must've been tired if he didn't have enough energy to make it up the stairs.

"Annie!" Mother called from inside the house. I shouted back, reluctantly.

"What!?" Josh opened his eyes and leaned up. "Hello sleepy head." He probably would've said something if mom hadn't yelled to me.

"Clara wants to talk to you! She says you can come over or just talk on the phone!" Hmm… I wouldn't have to leave the house if I stayed on the phone, but I liked talking in person. The phone felt more… I don't know… dull.

"Tell her I'll be right over!" I grabbed my sweater and pulled it gently over my head and arms, making sure not to make my arm uncomfortable. I had gotten the stitches removed yesterday, even though it had only been three days. It was healing quite well. I put on my sneakers and walked out the door to Clara's house, which was next door.

"Yes, I stumbled into the night. We're touching, but you feel so out of reach. The people here are buzzing like a bug on a light. I'm feeling like I always see them, but they can't see me." I sang to myself, softly. The moment I sang, 'I'm feeling like I always see them, but they can't see me,' I felt like I was being watched. Maybe it was the song having an evil influence on me, but it didn't ease the feeling.

I knocked on Clara's door and she opened it, surprisingly. Clara looked happy to see me, but something was dwelling on her mind.

"Hi, Anna." She said cheerfully, but I could hear the concern in her voice. "Come on. Let's talk in my room." I followed her through the living room and took a left to the stairs. I noticed she had a slight limp. Had she been shot, too?

"So why did you want to talk to me?" I asked as we sat down on her bed. Her bedroom was pink and purple, but most of the walls had book shelves or pictures hiding it. Clara bit her lip then replied.

"You know about the school shooting?" I nodded. "Ever since then, I've had a feeling something was wrong. Not that being shot helped, but I've been getting a feeling that something bad is going to happen." That's weird. I do, too. Well, we were very observant and quick thinkers, though. She didn't skip grades because she was slightly forgetful of her homework, but she was smart either way.

"You know… I do, too." I said and Clara looked worried, yet relieved. Probably relieved she wasn't the only one, but worried if something was going to happen.

"Do you think it will happen or that we're just nervous since the… shooting." She asked, her voice cracking a bit.

"You got shot it the leg?" She looked at me surprised. She definitely didn't know I was going to say that.

"Yes, but how did you know? It isn't that obvious, is it?" Well, a limp is, but yes, it was sort of obvious.

"You have a slight limp and I'm profiling you. You call me up and are worried suggested something was wrong and the giveaway was that there had been a shooting and kids were shot." Clara smiled. Better than a frown.

"You're still the same old Anna I know." She said. "I hope we work together one day." Wait, she wants to work with the police, too!? Awesome! Okay, that could be a bad thing because we're close and personal connections are tougher to get over if they are injured, but cool and plus we have both already be shot, anyways! Wow, I'm really thinking this through way too early.

"Why thank you. I try my best." I did my best to do a bow, which wasn't very good since I was sitting on her bed with her. I noticed she was looking at something in here hand. I looked like a ring, but she already had a copy of it on her other finger.

"You remember that necklace I gave you?" The necklace she gave me that she made to show our friendship. Yeah, but why was that relevant? Was she going to say we can't be friend, anymore? I nodded. "I have another thing for you." She said handing me the ring.

"Why would you want me to have this?" I asked. Was she giving me it to try and strengthen our friendship? I examined it closer, though. I had a ruby, which I'm guessing is fake or her mother is really nice. It had a design of ivy engraved into it and on the inside small words were written saying: '_Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light_.' I've heard that saying before, but I don't remember where.

"It's to always protect you from any danger that may come your way. It was my grandmother's ring and then my mother's ring and now mine, but I want you to have it, so no more harm can come to you as long as you're wearing it." She said quietly, but I heard her.

"So I'll have my friends in the dark." She smiled at my response. She knew I was referring to her. I put the ring on. If I rejected it, she'd think I didn't like it and didn't want to be friends.

"I hope that the lights never go out, though. So, we can see each other." She said with sarcasm in her voice. She always seemed like a sister I never had or might've had if dad hadn't turned out to be a murderer and gone to jail.

"Spoo-oo-ook-ky-yy!" She laughed at my humor. I don't know why I wanted to say that, but I just did. At least, she didn't get mad.

"Clara!" I heard her little sister squeal. I almost jumped off the bed. Geez. That girl could be scary.

"What, Tammy?" Her sister had short curly black hair and green eyes. The colors looked really good together and you would never guess her and Clara, who has short straight blonde hair and blue eyes, were related.

"I'm hungy…" That's how Tam said hungry. I think I used to say it like that, too. I couldn't say 'R' when I was younger.

"Okay, let's get you something to eat." Clara said getting up. She mouthed a sorry at me then lead her little sister downstairs. I waited till they were out of sight to get up and leave. I wasn't upset, but Clara probably didn't want to be rude.

As I walked down the stairs from Clara's house, I had the same feeling the day I left the hospital. Could it be coincidence or was I just nervous and more cautious, now?

Mr. Falk was sitting on a chair on the balcony of his third floor apartment. He was reading his newspaper. Strange… Why would you read a newspaper at noon? Then again, he probably is relaxing and enjoying the weekend.

I entered our house and mother was on the phone, again. She appeared to be baking something and was trying to juggle the phone while reading a cook book.

"No, you can't see them today." I heard another voice, but couldn't make out what that person was saying. "You didn't hear the news? There was a school shooting at their school." The voice on the other end had panic in it. "No, they're both alive, but Anna got shot in the arm. Next weekend you can see them, Greg. She'll be better, then." Oh, it was my father. Good to know he cares about Josh and me. At least, he hadn't abandoned us in his mind.

I walked past mom and opened the fridge. There wasn't much in the fridge. Mother looked at me and mouthed apple, but quickly returned to her conversation or argument with dad.

I grabbed and apple form the fridge and washed it in the sink. I, then, grabbed a plate and cut it up with a knife. Mother, luckily, didn't notice or she would've freaked thinking I'd cut myself. I went to the living room and Josh was watching SpongeBob on the TV. I put the plate with the apple slices on the Coffee Table. He looked at them.

"Did mother say we had to eat apples?" He asked, grabbing one.

"Well, yes and it's all we really have. She's cooking something in the kitchen, now." I replied and leaned back on the couch. I had got the apples for Josh, anyway. "You still like this show?"

"Well, it's the only appropriate thing on for some reason, other than the news." The news isn't boring. At least, when it is about stocks or stuff going on in society.

"Let me guess, lingerie ads, again?" We never saw the point in them and they had gotten inappropriate over the years.

"Yeah…" He looked at me. "You're not eating any?" He motioned to the apples. I shook my head in response.

"Not hungry." I replied. I looked at the ring when brother returned to his show. For some reason, I felt like what Clara said was true. I felt safer.

_**Sorry for the later update than normal. I had to work on a science project and couldn't submit this. I have already written the next two or three chapters, but they're on my notebook. :-( I'll either update tonight or tomorrow with those chapters.**_

_**Also, why no comments? :'-( If you do comment, I will probably post my response to them on here. Thank you if you favorite(d) and are following my story. Till next time!**_

_**Ebee**_


	4. Abducted

_A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions."_

_-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr._

"Time to get ready for bed." Mom said. It was 9 o'clock at night so it was time to go to bed. Josh turned off the TV and walked upstairs. I just sat there on the couch. "That means you, too." She said, nudging me. I groaned in frustration. Raggsy was lying on my stomach and she meowed at mother.

"Even Raggsy agrees with me." I murmured. Mother chuckled.

"You're already half asleep. I don't think she's agreeing with your problems." Why does she always have to be right?

"Fine… Raggsy. Move it, please." I don't know why I treated Raggsy like she could understand me. She didn't move so I leaned up. She slid off of me and onto the couch. She gave a small hiss and got up; stretching her legs then starting to lick them clean. I got up and mother noticed my ring.

"Where'd you get that?" Mother said, examining my ring. She probably thought I'd stolen it.

"Clara gave it to me. Her mother had given it to her. Clara said it's supposed to protect me from danger." Mother looked at my face, likely checking for any signs of me lying.

"If you say so…" Was all she said before picking up the plate that had once held the apple slices and walking into the kitchen to wash it. Josh and I didn't eat dinner. I for one wasn't hungry.

I walked up the stairs and into the bathroom. I passed our room to see brother getting into bed. He looked exhausted. I picked up my toothbrush and ran it under the water before applying toothpaste and brushing. After about 15 seconds, I spit the toothpaste into the sink and washed my brush off.

I didn't floss my teeth. Mother told me to, but the floss always got stuck under my teeth and gave me headaches trying to get it out. My teeth were really close together, which didn't help anything.

I washed my face off with a washcloth before venturing over to our bedroom. **_(A/N: Didn't know how to say it without sounding weird)_** Josh was sound asleep already, which didn't surprise me. I walked over to my dresser and changed into a tank top and shorts because it was pretty warm.

We still had a night light in the room so we wouldn't trip over anything. I'm not saying we are messy, but we aren't the most organized family in the world, either. Plus, it helped if one of us had to get up and go to the bathroom or do something.

I climbed onto the top part of the bunk, almost hitting my head on the ceiling. I wish our ceiling was higher. I climbed into bed and closed my eyes. At least, it wasn't right on my face or else I'd sleep on the floor.

I was almost asleep when a small clash and scream erupted from our house. I shot up, hitting my head on the ceiling.

"What in the Sam Hill was that?" I muttered to myself, angrily and in annoyance. Brother stirred below me, but didn't get up. I rubbed my head then climbed down from the bunk and stepped into the doorway.

The kitchen light was on in the kitchen. I hadn't heard mother go upstairs so it was probably because she was down there, but what was that crash and why did she scream? Did she bump into the knife block and cut herself?

"Hey, mom!" I yelled down the stairs. There was no response. I quietly crept down the stairs. "Mom?" Still no response. I had a bad feeling about this. I stepped into the doorway to the kitchen and saw a horrific sight. Mother was lying on the floor with a deep cut through her neck. I screamed and a hand went over my mouth. I smelled ether or isoflurane on the rag that went over my mouth and everything went black a second later.

_**By the way, I looked up those chemicals and they both are/were used as medicine and kidnapping purposes. Don't tell anyone I told you. ;-P If you guys haven't noticed, there is a quote that indicates things that happen in the chapter or the meaning of that chapter. **_

_**Let me ask a question to you readers, if this was you, what would you think? Would you be scared or just think this isn't happening? What would you do if you were abducted? Comment your response and I will pick the best responses and post then in the next Author's Note.**_

_**Ebee**_


	5. Hostage

_"It is a man's own mind, not his enemy or foe, that lures him to his evil ways."_

_ -Buddha_

It was very dim lighted room. That's all I saw when I opened my eyes. The darkness greeted me like I was its friend. I knew that I was in a pitch black room with an even darker man… Or at least, I think. I couldn't see very well, but I could tell, if anyone was in here, would have a hard time seeing, too.

I heard a groan next to me. I looked over and am able to make out the figure of my brother, who was leaning up with his hand on his head. Well, at least I'm not alone… Actually, scratch that. At least I'm not alone with the person who took us.

"Anna!?" Josh said and either not seeing me or not seeing that my eyes were open.

"What?" I say. I didn't know what else to say. I couldn't tell if he was trying to find out where I was, where we are, or what happened.

"Where…? What…?" He couldn't finish his sentences. He was nervous. He never finished his sentences if he is. I started looking around, but stayed sitting.

"I don't know and we were kidnapped or are dead." Obviously, we weren't dead, unless you are the exact same as a spirit or ghost or whatever you want to call it.

"We're not dead." Josh said, bluntly. Well sorry, you asked. I don't know what it's like to be dead. I heard some rustling and something solid slide across the ground.

"I could've told you that." A man said. He sounded like he had a slight British accent. He, also, sounded young, but not like a high school student. Maybe, late twenties early thirties. "And I wasn't planning to hurt Mary." That's my mother's name.

"Yeah, cutting someone's throat doesn't kill them." I said with sarcasm, but also anger. I don't think brother knew that, but he would've found out one way or another.

"I'll cut yours, too, if you don't shut up, Anna." I tensed up. How did he know my name? Why would he even care? "As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, I was saving you from her." So, he is formal, but he thinks he's helping us. Great… What is society turning into?

"You think kidnapping us is helping? We aren't any safer than what we were before." I heard brother respond. He didn't sound as shaken, anymore. He's either trying to be brave or is being dumb.

"Josh… You are such a blind boy compared to Anna. She's always looking over her shoulder and you are careless. She can see the world for what it really is." He thinks the world is trying to get rid of him and is conspiring against him. Also, does he mean when I watch people on the streets? If he was really smart, he'd know I was only doing that because of people like him.

"What is so bad? Why are they so bad?" I ask. I could tell Josh was questioning me. I figured if I could befriend the guy, he might let me gain my freedom. Plus, I could learn about him and help the police, if I… we got away.

"Those people out there are monsters. Hiding in their clever disguises. Waiting to pounce on an unsuspecting victim… I don't know why they do what they do, but I must protect the ones that are innocent." Well, you just listed everything about you.

"Are we innocent?" Josh asked, likely figuring out what I had been planning to do. I heard the man mumble something under his breath before responding.

"Yes, but you are turning slowly insane by exposure to the insane. You, mostly." He pointed to Josh. Wait, since he thinks the insane are bad, does that mean he's going to kill Josh? I shuddered from a chill in the air. "Stephanie and I will try to save you, though."

"Who's Stephanie?" Josh and I both asked in harmony.

"She's my servant. I saved her, was it five? No, six years ago." He said. For some reason, I remember that something happened to a girl six years ago. Was it the same person or just coincidence?

"Can we meet her?" I asked and footsteps approached. Someone, most likely the girl, was coming.

"You can light a candle after I leave. I am not worthy to be seen by their eyes, yet." He commanded. Well, at least he is sincere. I heard footsteps walk away.

"Are you two okay?" A girl said as a small flame lit on a candle. A girl with blonde hair and brown eyes stared back at me. She was no older than eighteen.

"Better now that he's gone." Josh mumbled. She glanced at him, but paid little attention before looking back at me.

"I was like you… taken from my family. I had two older sisters and a little brother." She stopped for a moment before continuing. "One day, I was walking to school when a hand went over my mouth and dragged him into an alley. I was thrown in the back of a van and taken here."

"Why does he take kids?" I asked. I thought she wouldn't respond for a moment.

"He believes kids are innocent souls that are corrupted by marriage, love, coming of age, and childbirth. He wants to protect this innocence by 'saving' us from it." So, she is still a kid. It's hard to believe six years here and she's still relatively sane.

"How old were you when he took you?" I asked. She bit her lip before responding.

"Eleven." I saw her eyes drift down to the floor. She put the candle down on a table that I just noticed existed. "He'll kill you if you try to escape."

"Won't he kill us, anyway?" Josh said. It was more of a question than a statement.

"He hasn't killed me, yet." She said yet, which worried me. Yet, he could still kill her. He could kill any of us.

"What does he make you do?" I asked. I could think of countless things he could make us do. I really didn't want to think about it.

"If you're thinking he's going to make you do things with him, you're wrong. He's against love, remember?" That made me feel a little at ease. "He might hit you time to time, but not hard. He wants you to serve him. Help him 'save' society." I couldn't tell if she was telling us to or informing us.

"The thing society needs saving from is him." Josh said. I couldn't have agreed more.

_**Do you like that ending? Sorry for not updating sooner. I had to work on another big school project and didn't have time to update. I think you'll see me update most on the weekends, but might be able to slip in a chapter during the week, too. Also, why no reviews? Am I not a good writer? :'-(**_

_**-Ebee**_


	6. Murder

_"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."_

_-Martin Luther King Jr._

I don't know how long we had been there. Days, weeks, months, years. It passed so slowly. We never accepted food from the man and when Stephanie gave us food, only one of us would eat part of it and if nothing happened, the other would. Stephanie told us stories and made sure we were okay. It was like she was trying to be our new mother.

She, secretly, gave me a notebook and pencils to use and I wrote or drew on it. I drew a decent picture of Stephanie and another of mother. I wrote about what was happening, in case I forgot, but that's nearly impossible since I can remember any image I see or create in my mind.

Today, well, wasn't the same. Josh said he could distract the man while I escaped and got help. In my opinion, it was a stupid plan because, even if I got away, Josh would still be with the man. Josh said it was our best chance, but I don't think it's a safe way for both of us to escape.

Plus, I don't think he thought it through. What if the man grabbed me and we get hurt? What if the man is used to it? What if he already knows our plan? What, then? We'd be dead and wouldn't be able to live. It already happened to mother.

"Hey, Steph?" I called. She put the book she had been reading on her lap. I don't know how she was able to see in the dark. Actually, I don't see how she could see the black letters in the dark.

"Yeah?" She asked. She looked at me, concerned.

"How would you like to go home? To see your family, again?" Stephanie was taken back by the question.

"I would like to see them, again, but if you're planning to escape, it's a bad idea. "He'll catch you. I don't even know where I am and I've been here for six years." She said as if she could read my mind.

"Did you ever try?" I asked and she frowned. Well, something happened.

"No, but that's because I know what happens. One person who did got five feet before he got a knife in his head. I don't want to be murdered today or any day. I rather live here, alive, than out there, dead." She has a good point, but you never know until you try.

Just because it happened once doesn't mean it'll happen, again. Plus, that was one kid. If all of us tried, one of us would have to escape, right? It can't be that hard to overwhelm one man.

"You never said there were others here." She closed her book in annoyance at my persistence.

"That's because I didn't want to give you nightmares. They all tried and they all died. The end." She stood up and waked away. I tried to follow her, but walked into a wall.

"I already have them." I muttered. Josh was lying on his back and was looking at the ceiling. I walked over to him, bumping the stool, and sat down. "Josh?"

"What?" He sat up, looking at me with concern and worry.

"What if the plan doesn't work? What if one of us gets hurt?" I didn't want to think of that, but I knew we had to determine if the risk was worth it.

"Anna…" Josh hugged me. "It will be fine. We'll be fine." I almost cried, but then it would make matters worse. I didn't want to seem weak. I know it's okay to cry, but then the man will have an advantage against us. I heard footsteps and I knew the man was coming back.

"What's wrong?" I heard him say with sympathy. He was so sick. Screw his sympathy. The last thing I wanted from him is compassion. Josh squeezed my arm and got up. Was he going to really try and distract the guy, now? Sometimes, I think he's dimwitted.

"She's scared of you and your innocent servant. You're worse than Mary ever was." I could feel the air tense up. Well, that's not the best plan.

"Why?" The man asked and josh gave him a shove, which surprised him, but didn't do anything other than that. Now, I wasn't going to attempt to do anything. I'd just get caught in the crossfire.

"Because you're just as insane as them!" Josh kicked the man and he grimaced in pain. Josh started running and I got up and was about to when a knife was jammed into Josh's chest.

"JOSH!" I screamed in bloody murder. He fell to the ground, the knife sticking out of his chest. I wanted to run up to Josh and try to save him, but I couldn't move. It was like I was paralyzed. The man looked at Josh in shock, like he didn't know a knife in the chest would do that.

"Ann-na… I-I'm-m… Sor-ry…" He stuttered and coughed up some blood. He then stopped breathing. My tears streamed down my face like a waterfall.

"No. No! You can't be dead! You can't. Please… Please…" The man put a hand on my shoulder and I instantly smacked it away. "You murdered him! You're a monster!" I screamed, but it didn't change the fact that Josh was dead. It felt like the only thing I could do was cry. I felt so helpless. I let my brother die and it was all my fault.

**_How do you like me now? :-P Thank you Red2013 for reviewing and following my story. Again, if anyone has a question or comment on my story, feel free to review. If it's a question, I'll most likely PM you and post my answer up on here in case anyone else has the same question. _**

**_Also, I've noticed no one has reviewed, except for Red2013, and I believe that is because I haven't added anything on the BAU team. Don't worry, though. I will, but I can't just throw them in because I feel like it. The main part of a story is the plot and if it makes sense. You have to build up before you can add a main part of the story. A main character is one thing, the climax is another._**

**_-Ebee_**

**_P.S. That was advise from Ebee. :-)_**


	7. Unexpected

_"Our prime purpose in life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them."_

_-Dalai Lama_

I don't know how long I had been crying. It felt like years, but it was probably less than an hour. Steph had come over and put a blanket over me, but didn't say anything as she sat next to me. She was used to death. I could tell that. Suddenly, the man ran in and was in a panic.

"Come here you little rascal." He said, grabbing Stephanie by the hair. She shrieked has he pulled her to her feet. "You did this, but you're still coming with me." I got up and tried to pull him away from here, but he just pushed me to the ground. He tugged the knife out of josh's chest and I almost threw up. How revolting is it to see a knife slathered in your relative's blood pulled out of their dead body's chest? Think about it?

"You. Stay. Here. Or. I. Will. Kill. You." He gave a small pause between each word for it to soak in.

"You're going to kill me, anyway." I muttered under my breath, but he didn't hear me. He dragged Stephanie out by the hair and all I could do was watch her suffering. Her cries sounded like a kitten stuck in a tree. His footsteps retreated and I was left alone… In the darkness.

About a minute later, I heard shouts and more footsteps. They were getting closer. I panicked. He might be here to kill me. **_(A/N: Notice how she panics after she knows he's coming back) _**I grabbed the only weapon I had; A pencil and hid under the table.

A moment later, a pair of shoes walked into my view and stopped at my brother's corpse. A flashlight shined onto his face. I could tell that the man kneeled down and touched my brother's neck. What was he doing? He knew Josh was dead, right? Plus, why check for a pulse if you stabbed him? It's not like he could take him to the hospital.

I think he was about to say something when I bumped the table leg. I mentally slapped myself. My chance of sneak attacking him was hopeless, now. The shoes, instantly, turned to face the table. Well, I'm dead. I put my arms around my legs and hoped he would just think it was the earth shifting.

"Who's there?" A man's voice asked. Wait a second, this man didn't have British accent… Who was this man? Why was he here? Was he working with the man that took me… us? Should I come out or stay hidden? Why so many questions…?

"Clear!" I heard someone shout. Wait a second… Don't police officers yell that when they've cleared an area? Is this man a police officer? I gingerly tried to see the man while staying under the table, but he immediately saw me.

"Hey." He said. He appeared to be smiling, but I couldn't see that well, anyway, so I could just be seeing a frown. He kneeled down to be able to see me better. Well, he definitely wasn't the man who took me, so it was better than him.

"Hi." I said in reply. It wasn't happy nor' curious. The nothingness in my voice almost scared me. "Who are you?" I asked like a little child for some reason.

"My name's Morgan. I'm with the FBI." Immediately, I felt safe. Not only was he a police officer, he was a Federal officer. He held out his hand. I looked at it for a second before taking it.

"I'm Anna." I replied, stupidly. I sometimes wanted to slap myself… He would obviously know my name.

"Come on." He said, standing up. "Let's go." I got up from under the table and he led me out. Surprisingly, the exit wasn't far from where we were being held. Wouldn't Stephanie have known this, since she can… could leave the room?

As we walked out the door, I was met by blinding sunlight. I put my hand that wasn't being led by Morgan above my eyes to try and block some of the sun. From what I could see, there was an ambulance, two police cars, a black SVU, and a silver Ford Mondeo.

"Hey, Anna." I heard a woman's voice say. I looked to see a woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes. She was wearing an FBI vest and black pants.

"Hi, Miss." I said. I would've said her name, if I knew it. She was going to say something, but Morgan spoke first.

"JJ…" I looked at him to see him motion his eyes like he was pointing. Well, that was pretty obvious, at least for me. After a second, she nodded. "Anna, JJ and I need to talk. Will you stay here for a second?" Morgan let go of my hand and they walked off, before I could answer.

I turned to where we had emerged from. It was a building that looked like a warehouse. Why is it that most kidnappers bring their victims to abandoned warehouses and houses?  
Then again, it is less likely for them to get caught because they don't own it.

A young man with light brown hair that stopped just before his shoulders stepped out with an FBI uniform on. At first sight, you'd think he's slightly quirky, yet smart, but I learned not to judge a book by its cover. He walked out and, when he saw me, walked up to me. He gave a slight hesitant smile. I smiled back.

"Hi... You're part of the FBI, too." He examined me for a second, as if he didn't know who I was. He looked slightly absent-minded with his eyes gazing over me. Then, when realizing who I was, responded.

"I am… Umm…" He looked distance for a moment. "I'm Spencer Reid." He said, slightly tilting the heels of his shoes back. He looked to be nibbling on his lip, nervously. Strange, since he was one of the Feds and shouldn't be nervous around people.

"I'm Anna, if you didn't already know that." I paused for a moment, noticing his eyes were gazing off, again. "Why are you like that?" He looked back at me, questioningly.

"What do you mean by 'like that?' Do you mean the way I look?" I raised my eyebrow that was hidden by some bangs that had fallen in my face. I brushed them behind my ears, before answering.

"I mean… distant and not paying close attention to what I'm saying?" He looked surprised I would suggest that. He studied my face, the question being difficult for him to believe.

"I'm listening, but I'm thinking, too." I thought about saying 'So, you just admitted to be ignoring me,' but saw better of it. That would probably make him mad and make myself look stubborn and bratty. First impressions are usually one of the most important.

"What cha' thinking about?" He looked hesitant to respond. "Come on. I saw my brother get murdered, it can't be any worse." I almost regretted saying that. I felt like I just breezed through that like it was nothing when I said it the way I did. It was something, but I wanted to know what he was distracted by, too.

"Well… I was thinking about how you and your brother look fed, when you've been gone a week. Also, about the man who took you, since we need to profile him." Profile him? Were they part of the BAU? "You know, around 1% of the general public is psychopathic?" I chuckled at him.

"No, but that's pretty cool… Did you know that 3.73% of people in the United States are illegal immigrants?" He pursued his lips in an accepting manner. Giving his head an almost unnoticeable nod. I expected him to say he knew that.

"I didn't know that. Where'd you read it?" I could tell he was lying because, even though he gave a slight nod, he had a small quiver in his lip, when he said this. Still, I didn't want him to think that I am a showboat about my intelligence.

"On an article about the American Public, that included many of their percentages." I saw woman with medium-length black hair walk out talking to a man with short black hair. The man looked very serious, but had a smile on his face.

Spencer, noticing I was looking by him, glanced over to see what I was looking at. Another woman walked out, this one had chocolate brown hair. She was watching the two that had just walked out, and then looked to see Spencer and me. She jogged up to us.

"Hey, Reid." She said and smiled at me. "Hey…" She paused, trying to recall my name.

"Anna." I said, giving a slight tilt of my head. "You are?" As if remembering to do something that she had forgotten, she made an 'oh' expression in a bit of shock.

"Alex. I know, it sounds like I'm a boy, but I can act like one." She pretended to punch Reid, who looked at her, confusion written on his face.

"Alexandra? I like that name." I always thought it'd be cool to have a boy name linked to mine. Even though people might joke about it sounding like a boy's name, at least its making you sound tougher, instead of girly like Daisy or Sophie. At times, I wished I could've changed my name, but I knew it's my name and it's my identification, in some words.

"Now, don't you make me sound like a fairytale princess." She said in a sarcastic tone. I felt like I fit in for some reason. I chuckled, which always surprised people. Usually, boys are known to chuckle, while girls giggle.

"Okay, Princess Alexandra… Do you want me to do your nails or your hair? Both, I'm exceptionally bad at doing." That was the honest truth. Many people say I am pretty, but I never was a person to really care about my looks. It didn't matter as long as I didn't look like a three horned rhinoceros.

"I'm flattered… Wait…" She said, realizing what I'd said at the end. She laughed at herself, which made me give an actual laugh. Reid smirked. I heard a voice, which Alex and Reid didn't hear or care about, I looked to the man and woman talking and the man looked slightly unhappy.

From what I could tell, from the movement of his mouth, he was asking her to come back. She must've been in the FBI at some point. She responded by saying 'I can't. You know that.' It seemed like something had happened down the line and she had to leave.

He said 'Okay, but if you ever reconsider, you know who to call. Thank you for coming today.' She smiled 'You're welcome,' and handed him the FBI vest she had, before getting in the silver Mondeo.

"Anna, hello? Earth to Anna; Come in, Anna." Alex said and I looked back at them. Alex looked concerned and questioningly at me and Reid was just looking at me questioningly. I twirled a piece of my hair, one of the two things I do when I'm nervous. The other was nibbling on one of my fingernails.

"Sorry… I'm just… Watching…" I didn't know how to say, 'Oh sorry, I was reading their lips and prying into their conversation,' without sounding like an idiot. Suddenly, my head started throbbing, so I put my hand to my head to try and ease the ache.

"You okay?" Alex asked. I didn't want to get them worked up or else the doctors would be checking me over everywhere. I never liked doctors. Not that they did anything wrong. I just didn't like the tubes and needles they injected you with and the 'procedure' they had to follow with victims from crimes.

"I'm fine. I just have a headache… And I'm hungry, so maybe that's why." I find it weird the best lies have truth in them. I was hungry and had a splitting headache, but I wasn't fine. They seemed to buy it, luckily.

"You want to get something to eat?" Reid asked. I was almost surprised by him speaking. I'm guessing he's anti-social or socially awkward. Both of which, you usually don't talk much or at least fluently.

"What can I have?" Alex looked taken back by what I said and Reid looked slightly understanding. Mother said what do you want and I always had to ask what I could have or she'd pretend she didn't hear me. I think it was a way to control me, but I liked asking because I didn't want to eat something I didn't like.

"Umm… what do you want?" Reid asked because Alex was still in shock or confusion by my question. I thought for a moment, before responding.

"Perhaps … A salad or something." I think this made Alex confused because kids usually don't like to ask for something healthy when they have a choice. I never liked to eat many unhealthy things because mother said I have something that I'm allergic to in most unhealthy foods. I can't remember what it is, though, so I just stay away from it as much as possible. Plus, it isn't like healthy food tastes bad.

"What's Pretty Boy doing, now?" I heard Morgan say and I was confused by the nickname. Pretty Boy? Why would he call Spencer that?

"Pretty Boy?" I said, seeing where Morgan was standing. JJ had moved next to Alex and it looked like they were surrounding me. "Why call him Pretty Boy?" Morgan laughed.

"It's a nickname I gave him a while ago. Just like when I call Penelope Baby Girl because when we first meet I tried to talk to her, but didn't know her name, so I said that. It sort of stuck." Morgan explained. Who's Penelope? There's Alex, JJ, Morgan, Reid, and there's another agent. Wouldn't that be a good sized team?

"I'm still not understanding why you call him that of all things, but I don't even want to know." This made them all laugh, except for Reid. He appeared to be contemplating something, but I'm not sure what.

"I notice how you don't seem fazed by all this. Has this happened before?" Reid asked out of the blue. I put my head back slightly in surprise at him asking if it had happened before. I shook my head.

"This has never happened before, otherwise, you would've known." They all seemed to be thinking about this, now. Well, great. Thank you for bringing that up, Reid.

"Did you know this was going to happen?" Reid seemed keen on the subject and I felt like I was about to slap him. Resisting the urge, I responded.

"I would never ever plan for my family to be murdered in cold blood! I love them and I don't care what you think I did or didn't do, but that is the truth! The man who killed my family has killed countless others, before my family and I, so there's your so called evidence!" I think my face was red as a pepper because JJ and Alex looked extremely concerned.

"He has killed others? Who? When?" I clenched my fists in hopes that he'd just stop suspecting I wanted this to happen. If I said nothing, he might think I did it because I won't talk. If I did say anything, then he'd think I did it because I know. Argh!

"I don't know! There was another person with us! She was taken six years ago! She told me!" Morgan butted in before Reid could continue questioning me.

"Do you know where she is?" Worry was practically written on JJ's face. I thought for a moment, just to see if anything gave a hint. He didn't say anything about anyplace, unless he told Stephanie after he dragged her out.

"He dragged Steph out by the hair and I don't know after that. I tried to save her. I really did, but he just pushed me down and said he'd kill me, if I didn't stay there. I felt weak. I couldn't save her or mom or…Josh…" I covered my face with my hands to hide the tears. Everyone judged me. Either because I was smart or because I am too weak.

"Hey, Hey! It's okay." It was JJ's voice. I felt arms wrap around me and I hugged them back. Burying my face in the vest she still had on. "It's going to be alright, I promise."

_** Sorry about the late release. I know I haven't kept my promise about updating lately, but life gets in the way. I hope you enjoy this chapter, since it took a lot of thought and redoing. I got ideas, typed them up, then realized they were bad or didn't make sense with the story-line. I repeated this twice, before residing on this chapter. I hope I can update more fluently, you could say, in the future. **_

_** I know I went off Reid's personality a little at the end, but he seemed like a more... 'willing' candidate for the role. I see him as a persistent brain, who sometimes doesn't know what he's doing. Yes, he is my favorite character on Criminal Minds, but I don't see him as the most knowledgeable of his actions at times. Refer to: Many of Criminal Minds episodes.**_

_** So, I hope I didn't just insult people who read this on my 'opinion' on Reid, but it is what it is. We all have our own opinions in life, so respect mine. It will make you a better person in society. :-)**_

_**-Ebee**_


	8. Sudden Change

_Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts._

_-Arnold Bennett_

They, more or less JJ, made me stay in the car. The car was the black SUV with tinted windows, but I really didn't care about being stuck in there. Most people would get bored and wonder what the others were saying outside the mobile prison, but I did not have that problem. I slightly opened the window, so I could hear, but not enough for them to tell it was open. If they did somehow find out, I could do my best at reading their lips.

"Reid, you really upset her." JJ said annoyed and with her hands on her hips like a mother scolding a child. Reid tilted his head ever so slightly, but sighed.

"I didn't mean to, but I find it suspicious that she looks decently fed, while her brother looks half-starved. I, also, find it strange how we have no records of her or at least, any Garcia can find." I frowned at him. Josh wasn't half-starved and I wasn't fed well, either. The last part drew my attention. I knew that man with black hair was on the team, but there is another? Was that woman with black hair Garcia? That didn't make sense, though. From what I could tell, she was an ex-agent, not a currently working one.

"So that means she is the abductor? We have plenty other children linked to this MO, who were kidnapped and found dead when she should've been 3. She could obviously overpower a 14 year old at that age." I held back a laugh at JJ's statement. Wait a second; I thought Stephanie said there was only one boy, who had been killed. This man had been doing it for at least 9 years. How many others had he kidnapped and, presumably, killed?

"This is different, though. This time there is two children, instead of one. He has been targeting boys with the first letter in their first name as a J and girls with the letter S. Anna or whatever her name is, doesn't go by his MO." JJ put a hand to her forehead, either in thought or annoyance. Reid couldn't say 'You are right. It probably wasn't her' and not think a thought against it.

"The other victims were taken on their way to school, from a park, and one from their home, who was home alone. The perpetrator probably thought they'd all be asleep and could kidnap Josh without any interruptions. Mary's throat was slit, when she was cleaning up and he had slipped through a window in the kitchen. I'm guessing they woke up and went to see what was wrong and he jumped them both." JJ said with her hand still to her head. Reid thought this over.

"Still, if that is true, he is getting riskier. The child next-door heard a girl's scream and told her parents. They said she was hearing things. He risked someone calling the police and himself getting caught." I agreed with Reid, from what I was hearing. If the child taken before Josh and I was taken from his or her home, then he is getting more confident. The police taking me might cause him to go on a rampage, but I hope that doesn't happen.

"Why don't you apologize to her? She is probably going to hate you, unless you apologize." I would like an apology that isn't forced, but it is better than nothing. He nodded and started walking over to the car. I pretended I hadn't been listening, but the black haired man got everyone's attention.

"Guys! There's someplace we need to be!" I could tell he was getting their attention and that he didn't want to alert me, if I could hear his shouts. The door behind me opened and I turned to see Morgan getting in the back.

"It's just me, kiddo." Morgan said with a smirk. If a man with black hair that had grey in it hadn't gotten in next to me, I would've said something back to Morgan. The man who just got in looked at me a bit surprised. I recognized him instantly.

"Hey, David." He looked at me confused and I laughed at his dismay and loss of words. "I read your books and met you at one of your book signings." He still looked unconvinced, but didn't say anything.

I heard a door shut and saw Reid had gotten in to the right of David. JJ had gotten into the front passenger seat and the man with black hair had gotten into the driver's seat. I didn't see Alex, so I looked behind to see her just closing the door and was sitting next to Morgan.

"Anna, since I'm sure you are curious who everyone is, I will tell you." Morgan said with a smirk. Alex gave him a slight shove in the shoulder, but didn't say anything. He glanced at her before continuing. "The blonde one is JJ," JJ looked back at him with her expression saying, 'really?' Morgan laughed. "The one driving is Hotch, you obviously know Rossi, and the one next to him is still Pretty Boy." Rossi started chuckling and JJ, Morgan, and Alex started laughing.

"Can I ask why he is still called that?" I asked and I saw Hotch give a glance at us, before putting the key into the ignition and starting the SUV. He pulled off the curb the second Morgan started replying.

"The same reason I called you kiddo." I groaned in annoyance and he laughed. Reid looked at us confused. He probably hadn't been listening. "Does he annoy you a single bit?"

"At times." Reid replied and looked back at his lap. I saw the pages of a book. I wondered what he was reading. I, also, wondered why he was reading instead of joking along with Morgan or at least saying something.

"What are you reading?" Reid looked up at me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Morgan looked slightly worried, but also mischievous. I don't think wager on him to be the most serious one.

"The Magical Mathematics of Quantum Physics." Reid replied and looked at me cautiously; as if he wasn't sure I'd understand or was protective of his book. Either way, he was acting goofy.

"Can I see it?" I asked and he looked generally surprised. I noticed Rossi and Morgan looking at me taken back by my request. They probably didn't suspect a 12 year old to be interested in Quantum Physics, but I was always reading about it online because our library at school didn't have anything on it.

"Uh-h… Um… Sure..." Reid held the book to me and I took it. I could tell they were looking at me, suspecting a prank or recall to the book, but I opened it and looked at the Table of Contents, before flipping to my desired page.

"You're joking about reading that right?" Morgan asked and I looked up at him. Alex was now looking at me and it felt like they were staring me down. Geez… Is it that rare to read about Quantum Physics?

"No. I am actually very interested in it. Our school library has nothing on it, so I have to read about it on the computer. I'm actually surprised the high school wouldn't-" Morgan stopped me in mid-sentence.

"You are at the high school!?" Morgan said with confusion, surprise, and amazement mixed together. I nodded.

"Yeah, I go to the high school. It is no big deal, really." I noticed Reid having a look of approval and I held back a laugh at him. He acted goofy and his expressions were the same.

"How old are you, again?" Morgan asked, still in shock. I would've responded, if a new voice didn't sound through the car.

"It looks like there's been an accident." JJ said in annoyance. I looked out the window to see an ambulance, but no crash or, at least, car. Police tap was put up and a police car was parked to the side of the road. A policeman was talking to someone, who was sitting on the edge of the ambulance, but I couldn't see who it was. It looked to be a child, but adults can be short, too.

"I don't think this was an accident." Hotch said unhappily. The policeman moved over slightly as a paramedic moved in to patch a wound on the person's head. It took me a second, but I recognized the person sitting there... Clara.

**_So sorry for the late update. It wasn't supposed to be late, but apparently didn't want to submit this chapter, when I wanted it to. I haven't been working on this book because I've been editing my friend's tribute to me, which I might just post up here, and I've been writing a Rise of The Guardians fan-fiction. I will post that either after or near the end of this one, so I wouldn't be bombarded with writing this and that at the same time. Lastly, I would like to wish a belated Christmas and New Year._**

**_-Ebee_**


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